A new gondola planned for Vail Mountain would replace the Vista Bahn high-speed chairlift out of Vail Village

Vail Mountain is planning to install a new gondola to replace the venerable Vista Bahn Express out of Vail Village. Pending town and Forest Service approval, the new gondola – which will be Lift #1 commemorating the original gondola and that ran the same route from Vail Village to Mid Vail when the mountain opened with three lifts in 1962 – will debut in December next year, to celebrate the hill’s 50th anniversary.

With an open-air terminal – unlike the enclosed Lionshead gondola building – the new gondola will ferry more people more quickly and feature the latest technology, including wi-fi access. No word on whether the gondola will have electrical outlets for charging depleted gizmos, the Achilles heel of the increasingly electronic ski day.

The gondola will add to the multi-billion-dollar renaissance underway in Vail Village, with new lodges, homes, underground parking and village amenities anchoring a sweeping redevelopment.
“These investments have ensured Vail’s leadership position in the resort industry for many years to come,” said Vail Mayor Andy Daly in a statement.

Emilie Rusch covers retail and commercial real estate for The Post. A Wisconsin native and Mizzou graduate, she moved to Colorado in 2012. Before that, she worked at a small daily newspaper in South Dakota. It's the one with Mount Rushmore.